1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool for slicing blocks of food such as cheese.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cheese slicers which operate by drawing a wire through a block of cheese are known. One such slicer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,705,257 issued Mar. 12, 1929 to William Lockett, disclosing a cradle for holding a block of butter, vertical walls of which guide a handle holding a cutting wire in tension. The direction of the cut is horizontal, thus advancing the cutting wire longitudinally along the block of butter. The cutter is interlocked with a groove formed in the cradle, but is pivotally retained thereon.
Another cheese slicer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,135,133, issued Nov. 1, 1938 to Elmer C. Rehbein, which slicer provides a tray having two low vertical lateral walls, and on which tray a wire cutter is pivotally mounted. A block of food is manually advanced on the tray, and the cutter descends in an arcuate cutting path.
An improvement for use with a conventional cheese slicer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,524, issued Apr. 1, 1969 to Herbert L. Moore. The improvement comprises a partial frame which is lowered over a block of food, and which frame holds a conventional wire cutter. Wire engaging grooves and graduations inscribed on the frame enable a user to position the cutter to produce slices of desired dimension. The entire apparatus is drawn horizontally over a block of food held immobile on a working surface, such as a tabletop.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,488 issued Oct. 6, 1987 to Gregory B. Cole, disclosing a slicing apparatus which surrounds the block of food, pushes the block of food progressively through the apparatus, and also provides a pivotally mounted cutter which penetrates the food along an arcuate path, in the manner of Rehbein '113.
Another cheese slicer which may be deemed of interest is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,024, issued Oct. 2, 1990 to David A. Holcomb. This slicer provides a structure fully surrounding a block of food, and having a rotary knob geared to a wall which acts to push the block of food progressively through the structure. At the open mouth of the structure, a cutting blade is disposed which descends in tracks or grooves, thus cutting the food in the manner of a guillotine.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.